Post by fraggs on Aug 17, 2014 10:42:51 GMT
Lasius flavus journal.
July 29th 2014.
Today I got four beautiful Lasius flavus queens through the post from Jen and wood. I have decided to keep them as pairs rather than putting them all together but I am sure they will still flourish into nice little colonies in no time at all!
As with all my newly mated queens I will keep them in a test tube set up until they have a few workers which will allow me to easily monitor them and their brood.
I really hope these queens do well as I love the colouration of the tiny Flavus workers - my only concern is that I've read L.flavus can be difficult to maintain in captivity because in the wild they forage mainly underground and have a specialised diet. Having said that, these queens look fat and healthy and both pairs already have a large pile of eggs which is always a promising sign!
August 16th 2014.
After being away on holiday for two weeks I have not been able to check on the queens, but today when I returned, I was delighted to find that one of the pairs has several cocoons which look ready to eclose over the next week or so and they also have a pile of freshly laid eggs!
The other pair must have been eating their brood as they are far behind with still only eggs and a few small larvae. Hopefully they will get the hang of it before winter and manage to get a few workers before it's time go into hibernation. However, if they are still struggling I could always give them a few adopted brood from their other more successful sisters.
August 22nd 2014.
These queens are doing absolutely fantastic! The pair who raised brood to the cocoon stage first now have around 10 cocoons and the other pair gladly accepted a drop of honey water which seems to have deterred them from eating their eggs and they also now have a few cocoons!
I have high hopes for these four queens and can't wait to see the first workers eclose.
To make it easier to tell the two pairs apart I have named the one with more cocoons "A" and the pair which only has a few "B".
This morning I even watched as one large larvae from colony "B" began to twitch which caught the attention of both queens. They picked it up and placed her away from the other brood which I thought was a bit strange. The queens then ripped a bit of cotton wool and placed it on top the larvae. Then it began spinning a cocoon right in front of my eyes! It was amazing to watch and it is a shame I can't find my camera to take pictures.
September 1st 2014.
This morning I noticed colony A has two tiny callow worker ants. They are still very pale so must have emerged last night. I can't wait for them to colour up and look beautiful and golden.
I will try and find my camera to take pictures soon...
July 29th 2014.
Today I got four beautiful Lasius flavus queens through the post from Jen and wood. I have decided to keep them as pairs rather than putting them all together but I am sure they will still flourish into nice little colonies in no time at all!
As with all my newly mated queens I will keep them in a test tube set up until they have a few workers which will allow me to easily monitor them and their brood.
I really hope these queens do well as I love the colouration of the tiny Flavus workers - my only concern is that I've read L.flavus can be difficult to maintain in captivity because in the wild they forage mainly underground and have a specialised diet. Having said that, these queens look fat and healthy and both pairs already have a large pile of eggs which is always a promising sign!
August 16th 2014.
After being away on holiday for two weeks I have not been able to check on the queens, but today when I returned, I was delighted to find that one of the pairs has several cocoons which look ready to eclose over the next week or so and they also have a pile of freshly laid eggs!
The other pair must have been eating their brood as they are far behind with still only eggs and a few small larvae. Hopefully they will get the hang of it before winter and manage to get a few workers before it's time go into hibernation. However, if they are still struggling I could always give them a few adopted brood from their other more successful sisters.
August 22nd 2014.
These queens are doing absolutely fantastic! The pair who raised brood to the cocoon stage first now have around 10 cocoons and the other pair gladly accepted a drop of honey water which seems to have deterred them from eating their eggs and they also now have a few cocoons!
I have high hopes for these four queens and can't wait to see the first workers eclose. To make it easier to tell the two pairs apart I have named the one with more cocoons "A" and the pair which only has a few "B".
This morning I even watched as one large larvae from colony "B" began to twitch which caught the attention of both queens. They picked it up and placed her away from the other brood which I thought was a bit strange. The queens then ripped a bit of cotton wool and placed it on top the larvae. Then it began spinning a cocoon right in front of my eyes! It was amazing to watch and it is a shame I can't find my camera to take pictures.
September 1st 2014.
This morning I noticed colony A has two tiny callow worker ants. They are still very pale so must have emerged last night. I can't wait for them to colour up and look beautiful and golden.
I will try and find my camera to take pictures soon...
